The Iranian government bans rice imports every year during the harvest season to support local farmers and domestic production. Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which almost 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers. The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to a majority of Iran’s paddy fields.
Rice Prices In Iran Double In One Year Amid General Inflation

According to the latest report released by Statistical Center of Iran (SCI)on Monday, the price for one kilogram of Iranian rice in the month of Bahman (ended on February 20) increased by about 20 percent compared with the previous month, and 95 percent compared with a year ago.
The report said the price reached 760,000 rials (about $3), showing a 95.3-percent rise compared to the same period last year.
The price reported by SCI is way lower than the actual price in the market, which is nearly 1,000,000 rials (about $4), which means the real increase in the price of rice is closer to 200 percent.
With only a few weeks left until the new Iranian year on March 20, prices of essential food items are still rising at alarming levels, local media report.
Food prices have been rising much faster than the general inflation rate -- hovering around 40 percent -- with government figures showing above 60-percent inflation at retail level in 2021, compared with 2020.
Sugar and different types of rice are usually items with highest price increases followed by different kinds of meat, chicken and eggs as well as cooking oil.
$2.3m of Rice Exported in 10 Months

Iran orders immediate imports of rice, potato amid price surges

Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region to export rice to Iran

Rice Imports Valid Until July 23 | Says IRAN
Monday, May 29, 2017

Order registrations are valid for rice imported until July 23 only, director general of Imports and Exports Regulations Bureau at the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, Ali Aliabadi, said.
Rice planting at paddy fields in northern Iran

Corn, Rice Top List of Iran Imports
Economy, Domestic Economy
Monday, May 22, 2017
Corn and rice had the largest share of non-oil imports into Iran in terms of tonnage in the first month of the current Iranian year (started March 21.
During the period, 662,000 tons of corn worth $144 million were imported, accounting for 6.12% of the total weight of all imports, ISNA reported.
A total of 85,000 tons of rice worth $74 million were imported, accounting for 4.08% of the total import tonnage. All in all, 2.091 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $2.34 billion were imported during the month ending April 20. Of all the imports, intermediate goods had an 87.8% and 67.14% share in volume and value respectively, as 1,835 tons of these commodities worth $1.577 million were imported during the one-month period.
Consumer goods with 219,000 tons worth $410 million had a 10.49% share in volume and a 17.46% share in value.
Poor offtake by Iran dents India’s basmati Rice exports
5/3/2017 Commodity OnlineIndia, May 3 -- India' s Basmati Rice exports dropped 7% in dollar terms at $3. 2 billion in 2016-17 financial year as against the previous year s $3.47 billion according to provisional data released by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).In volume terms basmati shipments were estimated at 3.99 million tonnes against 4.04 million tonnes.The dip in basmati shipments mainly due to the reduced offtake from Iran the largest buyer APEDA noted.Non-basmati Rice shipments grew 10.5% in value at Rs.17 122 crore as against Rs.15 483 crore in FY2015-16 . In volumes the non-basmati rice shipments were up at 6.81 million tonnes against 6.46 million tonnes in the previous year.Overall Rice shipments exceeded 10.81 million tonnes about 3% higher than the previous year s 10.50 million tonnes APEDA said. Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Commodity Online. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
Food Self-Sufficiency Up 24% in Three Years

Iran Rice Imports Down 24.4%
Some 76,500 tons of rice worth $52.9 million were imported by the Government Trading Corporation of Iran during the 11 months to February 18, indicating a 23.3% and 24.4% decline in tonnage and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
GTC is a government-owned company specializing in the purchase, import and distribution of essential foodstuff. It is the lever for enforcing market controls.
The company is also in charge of maintaining a supply of wheat, rice, cooking oil and meat as the country’s strategic reserve of essential goods, IRNA reported.
According to Jamil Alizadeh Shayeq, the head of Iran Rice Council, about 2.25 million tons of rice were produced in Iran in the last Iranian year (March 2016-17) and this year’s output is expected to hit the same level.
Iranians consume about 3.2 million tons of rice a year.
Iran’s import of staple food products drops
5/1/2017 Trend Daily Economic NewsBaku, Azerbaijan, May 1 By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend: A senior Iranian trade official has said the country's imports of staple food products over the last fiscal year (ended March 20) have witnessed a considerable slump. Mojtaba Khosrotaj, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, has said the country in the Iranian calendar year corresponding to 2012/13 imported over 1.6 million tons of crude vegetable oils valued at $2 billion, which dropped to about one million ton in volume and $876 million in value over the last year, IRNA news agency reported May 1. He also touched upon Iran's imports of sugar, saying in 2012/13 the country imported 1.68 million tons of the commodity valued at $1 billion, which dropped to 666,000 tons in volume and $319 million in value. Speaking about rice, he said the country imported 1.28 million tons valued at $1.3 billion four years ago, which fell to 828,000 tons valued at $681 million. According to the official, the import of wheat has shrunk to 1.44 million tons ($367 million) over the last year from 6.7 million tons ($2.58 billion) in 2012/13. Coming to the import of red meat, the figure has slumped to 93,000 tons ($384 million) from 117,000 tons ($644 million) in 2012/13.
Iran makes first Thai rice buy in 10 years
HAMBURG: Iran purchased about 40,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand in an international tender this week, a deal which traders say shows Iran's purchasing is returning to more normal patterns now that sanctions have been lifted.
Thai authorities announced in late January that they had secured a deal to sell rice to Iran for the first time in 10 years, with delivery of 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes of white rice due over the next one to two months. About 300,000 tonnes in shipments would be made in total, they said. Traders said Iran in past years largely purchased rice through lengthy direct negotiations as western sanctions imposed over the country's disputed nuclear programme had curtailed international payments via banks. "I think this sale in a tender shows Iran is starting to return to more traditional purchasing patterns after the relaxation of western sanctions," one European trader said on Friday. "The sale was made by a US multinational trading house." The Iranian state grains buyer GTC bought Hom Mali grade A rice from Thailand at about €600 (US$645) a tonne, they said. Prices had been sought in euros in the tender that closed on March 14. The rice was for shipment between April 15 and May 15 to Bandar Imam Khomeini or Bandar Abbas ports. Asia Golden Rice Co said in January that it had reached an agreement to sell rice to the Iranian government after Iran’s Health and Medical Education Ministry inspected the company's operations late last year.Iranian Government Amends Rice Import Tariffs
he government has amended tariffs for importing rice by reducing it from the previous 40% to 26%, Trade Promotion Organization of Iran announced.
It was announced on January 21 that the rate would stand at 5% following a series of tariff cuts on a list of agro-food products.
Based on the new regulation, tariffs on butter, meat and bananas will be trimmed to 5% from 20%, 26% and 26% respectively. Tariffs for pulses have also been cut drastically. Split peas will be subject to a 10% tariff, down from the current 15%. Rates on various other types of beans have been reduced to 5%.
The legislation describes these commodities as “basic, essential and urgent", adding that the new tariffs are currently in effect.
The move is aimed at keeping food prices in check in the runup to the new Iranian year (starting March 21, 2017). Meat and agricultural products have witnessed a hike in the past few weeks.
However, Shamsali Hajizadeh, the head of Agricultural Commission at Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, believes the reduction in tariffs is unlikely to lead to lower prices.
“Manipulating tariff rates benefits neither the producer nor the consumer. Only the intermediaries stand to gain from it,” he told the Persian daily Shahrvand.
Hajizadeh criticized the government for its “flawed” agricultural policies over the past few years.
Instead of manipulating tariff rates, Hajizadeh believes that the government should focus on enhancing productivity to minimize costs and reduce prices.
The Iranian government has a history of placing periodic bans on the import of rice and sugar, among other commodities, in support of domestic producers.
There is an all-out ban on rice imports during harvest seasons, for example. This year the measure was in place from July 21 to November 21.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Iranians consume more than 3 million tons of rice every year, of which almost 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers.
“This [domestic supply] does not suffice demand. We need imports, but imports that are limited and controlled,” Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati said in November.
Nonetheless, figures show rice imports have been on the rise, despite all the restrictive measures.
Importers shipped more than 630,000 tons of rice valued at $527 million into the country during the nine months to December 20, 2016, which registered a 22% and 4% growth in volume and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of a year ago, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Sugar, chocolate and candy industries have been complaining in the past few months that the commodity was scarce due to restrictive regulations regarding imports. The government has dismissed the claim though.
Temporary bans on sugar imports are imposed mostly to prevent oversupply and support local manufacturers.
According to Iran Sugar Association, Iran is currently 70% self-sufficient in sugar production and a complete self-sufficiency is possible within the next four years.
Sugar production is estimated to exceed 1.52 million tons by the end of the current fiscal year (March 20, 2017). Domestic demand for sugar stands at 2.2 million tons annually. Therefore, the import of close to 700,000 tons is needed, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The government also imports a few hundred thousand tons for its strategic reserves every year.
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